The Valley of Syracuse was very busy in November with the 4°, 14° and the 29°. Thank you to those who assisted in the presentation of the 14°, this Degree, I believe, is the finest that our Valley does, so thank you for continuing the fine job. Congrats to the new candidates - we hope to add more to your class in January. The Knights of St. Andrew hosted the 29° video screening and began their reorganization with election of Officers. Thank you, congratulations and much luck to those new officers & members.

We honored our Veterans on November 9th with brief presentations honoring those who could not be with us and the origins of the branches of the United States Military, along with recognizing those present who had served. Our Masonic Veteran of the year is Brother Edward W. Stone from Konosioni Lodge No. 950 who served the United States Navy during WWII and was at Pearl Harbor during the attack. Our Non-Masonic Veteran of the Year is Donna West Kestner who served in the United States Army and is currently the Director of the Oswego County Veterans’ Service. The John D. Homa Award was presented to Ill. Norman A. Mordue, 33° by Ill. David P. Spencer, 33°, Active Member of Supreme Council, Grand Standard Bearer and Deputy for the State of New York for Brother Mordue’s service in the United States Army. What a great evening!

December is relatively light with an Executive Committee Meeting on the 7th, our Annual Holiday Celebration on the 14th and the Holiday Luncheon on the 28th. We hope to see many of you at these events, please get your reservations into the office ASAP.

I am once again hosting the Knights of St. Andrew’s Burns Supper on Saturday, January 30th. Seating is limited to 50 so please get your reservations in NOW. See the article below for more details.

Finally, on behalf on my wife, Marian and our family, I would like to wish each and every one of you a very happy holiday season.

See you soon...

Fraternally,Ill.'. Richard J Powell, 33°Commander in Chief

ChapterGreetings Brothers,

The weather early last month was remarkable and so was the work of our valley. December 14th is our Holiday celebration at Memorial lodge with our ladies social at 6:00pm dinner at 6:30 and our program starts at 7:30 sharp.

Twin Trees III will be the spot for Holiday luncheon order from the menu starts at 11:30 am. The new year looks to be quite busy for us also.

May the Great Creator keep us in his care, God bless you all.

Fraternally,Carlton P. Jackson, 32°Most Wise Master

CouncilGreetings Brethren,

Thanksgiving has passed, snow is in the air and the holiday season is approaching. The holiday party is the 14th. 6pm social, 6:30 dinner and 7:30 program. Make your reservation early.

The holidays are a stressful time and those with recent losses carry an extra weight. A card, a kind word or an invite to your family holiday celebration can make this time easier. Reach out and connect, the holiday you brighten most could be your own.

Robert O. Boutell, 32°Sovereign Prince

LodgeGreetings Brethren!

With Jack Frost nipping at our noses and our families busy readying themselves for the upcoming Holy Days for the various religions that occur this month. We should take a moment to look back upon 2015 and remember all that we have accomplished as a fraternity. All of our community service, charitable efforts, and the great fellowship experienced by attending meetings and participating in the community service efforts. I’m sure most of you have heard this before “The more you put into the fraternity the more you will get out of it and your Masonic Circle will grow from every experience no matter how small or how brief”.

My sincere gratitude goes out to all who directed and participated in the conferring of the 4th and 14th degrees. The new brothers appreciate all the hard work and dedication that went into attending rehearsals, practicing your lines, setting up and taking down the props, and giving memorable performances. Ensuring the new brothers understood the meaning of the degree.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the Valley of Syracuse presented the Masonic Veteran of the Year Award to Brother Edward Stone who served in the US Navy and is a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Non-Masonic Veteran of the Year went to Donna Kestner who served in the US Army. Both of these well deserving patriots had exemplary military careers and both are very active promoting veteran’s service and support causes. It was a true pleasure getting to know both of these fine individuals.

A reminder to all officers that December 7th will be an executive committee meeting. On December 14th the Chapter of Rose Croix will be hosting the Holiday Dinner with entertainment. Bring your significant others! Social time begins at 6pm, dinner at 6:30pm, and program at 7:30pm. On December 28th at 11:30am the Valley of Syracuse will be hosting the Holiday Luncheon at Twin Trees III. Please RSVP to the Valley Office ASAP for both!

Looking forward to January 2016 the Valley of Syracuse has many events happening. On January 11th will be the Spring Membership Night Dinner (to include the ladies) sponsored by the Council Princes of Jerusalem. The 18th of January will be a live rehearsal for the 4th degree at 7pm. The conferral of the 4th degree will occur on the 25th of January at 7:30pm. To end the month of January the Knights of St Andrew will be hosting the “Burns Supper” on January 30th 5pm at Coleman’s Irish Pub.

Please volunteer to help out with the degrees and attend as many functions as you can! Also remember to contact brothers you haven’t seen in a while and help get them back to attending the exciting events we have planned for them.

May the blessing of the Great Architect be upon all of you, your families, and our nation’s military service members.

See you soon in the Lodge of Perfection!

Jack G. Dombrowski, 32°Thrice Potent Master

HospitalerGreetings Brethren,

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving . This year is fast coming to a close, and as I am writing this month’s article it is warm and sunny outside. Why is the Fall season always so short?

At the Official Visit in Phoenix last month I was very happy to see Mel Sitts and Norm Kruth in attendance. Both Norm and Mel looked great and both gave positive updates regarding their ongoing health issues. Keep up the good work!

I also received good news about Wayne Confir who has been under the weather, but is now feeling better.

That will do it for this year, Stay healthy, Pray for our Troops, and have a Merry Christmas.

Fall is here, we have turned the clocks back so everyone gets to go home in the dark. Things are in full swing for our academic year.

Justin is working well with his tutor. She reports that he is always ready to work and is very cooperative. At present Justine is completing his phonemes on Level One and is beginning to work on the rules and tools for that level. Soon he will be moving on to Level Two. Always a good thing!

I want to give you a little report from my recent trip to Dallas, TX where I attended the 66th Annual International Dyslexia Conference. It is always a wonderful experience with a great deal to be learned and shared with attendees from all over the country and the world. One of the highlights for me was the constant expression of Thanks to the Scottish Rite for all of their work in field of Dyslexia. This occurred in the Keynote Speeches and in the general sessions as well. Kudos to you all for all of your work and support!

A reminder that we are planning a second GALA fund raiser for the spring and would appreciate any organizational assistance you might want to give. Please contact us if you are able to help with this event.

As always, feel free to contact up with any questions you might have and/or call us to set up a visit.

2016 – 2017 Scholarship Applications AvailableApplications to apply for 2016 - 2017 Supreme Council, AASR Leon M. Abbott Scholarships and New York State Council of Deliberation Scholarship Aid are now available for pick up at the Central City Bodies, A.A.S.R. Valley of Syracuse Scottish Rite Office (315) 452-7976, mailed to you from the Valley Office, or on line. Go to the Valley of Syracuse Web sitewww.syr-aasr.org for the links to obtain the information on line. Application titled “Application for Scottish Rite Scholarship Aid Leon M. Abbott and/or NYS Council of Deliberation”

To all applicants: The deadline date to submit your completed applications to the Valley of Syracuse is April 1, 2016. That means in the office by close of business on April 1, 2016. Applications received after April 1, 2016 will not be considered.

New Applications must be used. There is one combined Application for this year. The new Application must be used. Graduating High School Seniors may apply again this year. To the members of our Youth Groups Triangle, Rainbow, Constellation of Junior Stars, and DeMolay; you may also apply.

Seven applicants from the Valley of Syracuse received financial assistance from this program in 2015. Congratulations to all of them.

Please contact the Valley Office at (315) 452-7976 if you have any questions or require assistance and information.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!The festive Holiday Season is upon us once again. The traditional greetings of “Merry Christmas , Happy New Year!” have given way to the now socially acceptable greeting “Happy Holidays!”

Whatever your preference, the Officers of Central City Bodies, and the staff at the Valley of Syracuse Scottish Rite Office extends their sincere Holiday Greetings to all who take the time to scan and read our Scottish Rite page each issue.

To the leaders in the four Bodies of Scottish Rite in the Valley of Syracuse this year thank you for the support and assistance provided to your office staff.

To all of our members wherever they may be this Holiday Season; our prayers and thoughts are with you. May your travels all be safe. Please make certain to remember our Valley Members on Active Duty in the Military in your thoughts and prayers.

2016 Burns SupperGet your Reservations in NOW! The Knights of St. Andrew will hold its Annual Burns Supper 5:00 PM on Saturday January 30, 2016 at Coleman's Irish Pub in Syracuse. A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, Freemason, author of many Scots poems and to the Scots what Shakespeare is to the English. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet's birthday, January 25th.

Cost will be $38 per person. Reservations can be sent to Richard Powell, 4717 Broad Road, Syracuse, NY 13215. Deadline for reservations will be January 10th. Book early as the space at Coleman's is very limited! Email questions to rjpowell@syr-aasr.org